How do I answer this?

[balivatn]

Got this in my inbox:

Hi Bal,

Here we are again. I’m wondering if you’re planning to come back to (School) next year (fall-spring 2010-11) to take up your last year of funding as a TA. This would allow you to finish up your work here. Any thoughts about that? It would be great to get that done. What else is up?

Advisor



He doesn't give a shit about the other stuff I'm dealing with and why that's making it harder to slog through the academic crap. And I really don't feel safe telling him about this, and I know that I'm not really an ethnomusicologist anyway, I have colleagues that show me this all the time.

I just don't know what else to do.

Comments

[merchimerch.livejournal.com]

I would answer honestly and be a specific (or not) as you feel like. If you don't want to go back to (School) and TA and finish your dissertation next year, just say so.

This could be benign and just your advisor trying to make sure that he advocates for you to get good TAships if you are going back.

Some people have really close personal relationships with their advisors and others don't. You aren't required to tell him much of anything if you don't want, only whether or not you're planning on going back next year.

Also, check how long you can stay on leave of absence. If it's more than 1 year, then you can put it off and still have your place held (and assumingly have your TAship held). Also you might make inquiries about medical leave or something if you wouldn't normally have more than 1 year.

[tedshubris.livejournal.com]

Going to agree with the above; he may or may not care about you outside of the purely academic sphere (I don't know the interpersonal history, if there is any), but it sounds like he's trying to take care of the part of you that is within his sphere of influence.

If he's being impersonal, that doesn't mean that he's a bad person, just that he's trying to square things away.

[iyindo.livejournal.com]

Dear Advisory,

I really don't feel that you have genuine concern for me OR the reasons why the academic setting has been difficult for me. Go fuck yourself, and I'll contact you again if/when I damn well feel like it.

Yours truly,
Bal